Sport

Boxing legend Joe Calzaghe is hosting two charity dinners and Q&As in Greater Manchester this year

A must-not-miss for any die-hard fight fan.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 14th August 2024

British boxing legend Joe Calzaghe CBE is coming to Greater Manchester for not one but two charity dinners, interviews and Q&A sessions later this year.

The former unified WBA, WBC and WBO champion retired back in 2009 as one of the UK’s greatest-ever fighters, boasting an undefeated record of 46-0 and plenty of iconic victories to his name.

It’s fair to say the London-born Welshman has a lot of stories to tell and with some of his biggest-ever bouts coming here in Manchester, including his Arena fight against David Starie and the legendary ‘Judgement Day’ win against Jeff Lacy to claim the Super Middleweight World Championship.

So, with that in mind, the 52-year-old has decided to bring two special ‘An Evening Joe Calzaghe’ events to the region where he enjoyed so much success, hosting one in Manchester and another at Edgeley Park, the home of Stockport County Football Club.

joe calzaghe edgeley park
young joe calzaghe
joe calzaghe hotel football
Credit: The Manc Group/Supplied/Tea Chimp (via Flickr)

Ringing the opening bell at Edgeley Park on Friday, fans of the ‘Pride of Wales’ and boxing in general will be able to get up close and personal with the sporting legend. 

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Starting from humble beginnings, Calzaghe – who also became known as the ‘Italian Dragon’ due to his Italian heritage – rose through the ranks and went on to face off against some of the all-time greats in the industry such as Mikkel Kessler, Chris Eubank, Roy Jones Jr and more.

He also came out on top on every single occasion.

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Rated by fellow fighter, friend and Manc boxing legend Ricky Hatton as “the greatest British fighter we’ve ever had”, Calzaghe’s record-breaking flawless across multiple weight classes fell nothing short of a sight to behold over the 15 years he spent in the ring.

Certified as the longest-reigning super-middleweight world champion in boxing history, having held the WBO title for over ten years and defending it against a total of 20 opponents (a shared record in the division alongside Sven Ottke) he was an absolute force to be reckoned with.

And soon you’ll be able to see him in the flesh over in Trafford, just across from the Theatre of Dreams, or right in the heart of SK.

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The two evenings with feature a two-course dinner, live interview, Q&A session and an auction for charity, not to mention some other surprise in store at each date on his UK tour, which makes its first stop in Manchester next month.

Calzaghe will also take to the stage alongside comedian and impressionist, Al Foran, who will be bringing boatloads of belly laughs to warm guests up for a knockout evening.

Even more excitingly, VIP ticket holders will be able to meet Joe in person for a photo and signing opportunity just before dinner is served.

You can grab your tickets to see Joe Calzaghe at Edgeley Park on Friday, 20 September, or at Hotel Football on Thursday, 24 October HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied/The Manc Group

Sport

Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Andy Burnham outside Number 10 Downing Street

Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.

In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.

According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.

These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.

The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.

The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.

Man City release statement after being found guilty of all charges related to Premier League’s financial rules

Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.

A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.

The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.

“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.

“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.

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“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”

Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)


Sport

Multiple arrests made for ‘tragedy chanting’ and police officer assault as Man City defeated Liverpool

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Multiple people were arrested over the weekend as Manchester City defeated Liverpool in a Premier League clash.

Merseyside Police have confirmed that a total of 10 people were arrested during the policing operation at Liverpool’s home ground of Anfield as they hosted Manchester City on Sunday 11 October.

One man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police constable, five were on suspicion of tragedy chanting, one on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, two for affray, and one on suspicion of throwing items onto the pitch.

Police are now appealing to the public, and are particularly looking to speak to witnesses of the assault of the officer.

At around 6:35pm, as fans left the stadium, a police officer sustained a ‘serious facial injury’ during the arrest of a man on Anfield Road, and was subsequently taken to hospital for treatment but is now recovering at home.

Investigating officers are now conducting enquiries, speaking to witnesses, and analysing CCTV and camera phone footage.

Chief Inspector Leanne Hobin said it’s ‘extremely disappointing’ that an officer has sustained a serious injury while carrying out their duty.

“I hope the arrests send a clear message and act as a deterrent to others,” Chief Inspector Hobin continued. “Anyone who engages in this abhorrent behaviour risks ending up in custody and getting a criminal record.

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“Despite the actions of a few, the overwhelming majority of the 60,000 fans in attendance behaved well and I want to thank them for their co-operation.”

Manchester City ended up defeated Liverpool 3-0 during the Premier League clash at Anfield.

Featured Image – Rawpixel

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